Dear Governor Andrew Cuomo,

I am writing in regard to the deficit the Yonkers Department of Special Education is currently facing.  Our Superintendent of Special Education Dr. Luis Rodriquez and the Special Education Department as a whole need 20 million dollar's to restore the Yonkers Public School's Special Education Department.  

Dr. Rodriguez has made the needs of the Special Education Department known to the Yonkers community, Superintendent of school's, parent's, and stakeholder's. In the face of the COVID 19 pandemic he is compounded with more unforeseen circumstances on top of the previous challenge's his Special Education Department have faced since he became the Special Education Superintendent. 

We are requesting 20 million dollars to help our struggling Special Education Department.  20 million dollars is an investment that will restore services, help our Special Needs student's, and allow the Special Education Department to render services that are vital. The Special Education Department is severely understaffed and unbelievably overwhelmed.  The student body they serve continues to grow at a steady pace. Yonkers Special Education Department is also responsible for non-public school's such as charter schools, schools out of district, home and hospital's, day programs, IDT, and much more. 20 million would allow us to rebuild the infrastructure of the department, expand program's, allow for additional classes and new development. They are in desperate need of additional Teacher's, Psychologist's, Social Worker's, Nurses, Guidance Counselor's, Clerical Worker's, and ICT classroom's.  

We urge you to please seriously consider our request and help our struggling Special Education Department.  Our most cherished and vulnerable population are at risk, our children.

Sincerely,

Social, Education, and Humanitarian Activist, Nnenna Akoma-Ononaji

Milestone's With Love 

Concerned Parent’s

Special Needs Advocates

Community Stakeholder’s